Chick-Fil-A Offering Smokehouse BBQ Bacon For Summer

Chick-fil-A is offering a new kind of barbecue-flavored sandwich - the "Smokehouse BBQ Bacon.

The sandwich includes a grilled chicken, lettuce, Colby-Jack cheese and several new to Chick-fil-A ingredients like the sweet, Hawaiian-style bun, Smokehouse BBQ sauce, and brown sugar and pepper glazed bacon.

The Smokehouse BBQ Bacon has been planned for the summer season similar to the fall pumpkin spice latte.

Chick-fil-A's Menu Strategy and Development Vice President David Farmer said this is the company's first foray into offering a season-related entree. He said the company wanted to offer something different for summer.

The sandwich, which is 500 calories, was released to the public May 22 and will be around until Aug. 19. It has a starting price of $5.59. And, if it is deemed successful, the chain may consider bringing it back next year.

Although it's just now being introduced, the company has been developing the sandwich for over two years, with the assistance of Ford Fry, a James Beard Awarded nominee and Atlanta restauranteur.

According to Farmer, the sandwich's primary ingredient is the bacon, which is seasoned in the restaurants and then oven-roasted. During summer 2015, the sandwich hit several test markets - St. Louis, Mo., Richmond, Va., Knoxville, Tenn. and Southwest Florida.

Chick-fil-A waited to release the sandwich, as it wanted to put attention on its app relaunch last year.

Chick-fil-A is also offering a new type of drink - the "Watermelon Mint Lemonade."